Night Rain and Water Lilies
by The Blister Pearl Lady
Summary: In one world, Ichigo has all the spiritual powers possible and starts out almost totally helpless. In another world, a female Ichigo has all the spiritual connections possible - and she doesn't exactly start out helpless at all. A different way of looking at the fem Ichigo story. AU. Pairings open.


**Night Rain and Water Lilies**

 **Part One: An Interesting Childhood**

 **Prologue**

"This meeting has come to a start."

The King of Soul Society sat at the head of the rice paper screen lined room. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a head of brown hair and a brown beard, he had his reserved and slim silver-haired wife on one side of him, his adult daughter and adult son on his other side.

Lining the screens were all five main royal guardians, kneeling stiff and still. At the actual table were all three members of the Urahara Shouten, the Visored, Yamamoto Genryuusai, Shiba Kuukaku, Shiba Ganyuu, all three of the remaining adult Ishida, and Masaki and Isshin.

Masaki's belly was swelling. She was pregnant.

"I have called this meeting for two reasons," said the King.

"Yeah, and they'd better be damn important ones," Shinji drawled, bored, chin in his hand. "Not many people know what the so-called 'Soul King' consists of. Even less people know that there is a whole secret society and royal family hidden behind the thing called 'The Soul King' that keeps the universe together. And no one knows Yamamoto is missing tonight. A lot of these people aren't exactly supposed to be out and about in the living world. Urahara's technology is only keeping the spirit energy suppressed in this one room."

"They are important reasons," said the King, as one of the female guards kicked Shinji in the back to keep him quiet and Hiyori smirked. Shinji scowled. "We have an opportunity here to thwart both Aizen and, eventually, Yhwhach."

Everyone straightened, serious.

"You're talking about Masaki and Isshin's first child, the one on the way," Urahara realized, eyes deadly. All eyes in the room went to Masaki's pregnant belly.

"I should say I don't know if I want my child to be put in that much danger…" Masaki frowned. "But of course Isshin and I knew better."

"It's a golden opportunity," said Urahara. "Yamamoto's daughter defected, married a Quincy, and had Masaki before Masaki's family was killed. Masaki's mother killed herself when the rest of her family died. Isshin is a product of an illicit affair between the King and a Shiba -"

The Queen's lips pursed, but she remained silent. Yamamoto had grown deadly serious and dark.

"And Masaki has a Hollow locked away somewhere inside of her. It's completely ideal," Urahara finished. "But in order for this plan to work… wouldn't the girl actually have to come across as weak? To know nothing?"

"It's going to be a girl?" said Shinji, surprised. This time, Hiyori and both of the female royal guardians hit him, and Yoruichi and Kuukaku didn't exactly look pleased either. "Ow! Sorry… I guess… Just surprised…"

"Yes. I am having a daughter." Masaki smiled warmly and softly, putting her hand over her belly.

"She would have to be an excellent actress…" said the Soul King slowly, looking around at everyone, sharp-eyed and faux casual. "However…"

"She wouldn't actually have to be weak!" Yoruichi's eyes lit up as she caught on. "You want insurance." She smirked.

"That my granddaughter won't be killed? Yes," said the Soul King rather sourly. "Strong powers… but excellent acting skills. She fits in consciously with our plans. And we _all_ …" He looked around meaningfully at the connected gathering. "Have a hand in raising her."

"And training her." Kuukaku smirked. "I like this idea. So if we all do that -"

"Aizen and Yhwach lose. And you're all accepted back into the place that so rudely ejected you. Wouldn't that be nice?" said the Soul King lightly. "I need to have a reason." He shrugged. "That's all. Your ejections were temporary."

"Which means eventually this living girl becomes a Shinigami - and we all get to go home? The Quincy get to live in peace?" Shinji's eyebrows rose. "Well, I'm in. And I'm _only_ in -" His eyes flashed. "Because I was promised privately that this wouldn't be permanent in the first place."

"Hey! What if I don't like the idea of my daughter becoming a pawn?" Isshin protested.

"Then you shouldn't have had her," said the Soul King in a voice of iron. He saw Isshin's face - and softened a little. "You may have one other request. What is it?"

"The two subordinates I abandoned… Can they get to know my daughter?" Isshin looked up. "My family, they were told what really happened from the beginning. But my subordinates… They don't even know who my father was."

"Request granted," said the Soul King. "When the opportunity comes… I will ensure it. I wanted to save that Hinamori girl from the clutches of Aizen anyway. If she were sent down with Kuchiki Rukia, as I'm sure Aizen is planning on…

"Yes," he said thoughtfully to himself. "That might work. The Hitsugaya boy needs a push to reverse his unconscious growth suppressant anyway. Ancient royal guardian zanpakuto indeed."

"Do we have the stats on the girl's soul?" Yamamoto rumbled.

"I was wondering that myself…" said Ishida Ryuuken, eyebrow rising in interest. "If my son will grow up knowing her…"

"You can't really tell anything about someone from their soul stats," Ganjyuu scoffed. "I mean, the royal family approached us privately with what happened to Isshin and Kaien. But still… these Shinigami and their technology…"

"Oh no? You're a dead ringer for your soul stats." Kuukaku smirked.

"Hey!" Ganjyuu protested.

"Every soul is half nature and half nurture," said Tessai simply. "Soul stats, measured by spiritual scientific instruments, simply take the coming nature half into account. She will be born on ironically the last day of the Japanese Obon festival, believed to call back the spirits of the dead. July 15th, 1986, Japan. 1 PM. We have predicting soul birth down to a science.

"INTP. Cancer Sun, Libra Moon, Scorpio Ascendant. And the rest of the chart goes out from there. Mercury in Leo, Venus in Virgo, Mars in Capricorn."

"I can't believe that crap's actually valid," Isshin muttered.

"It's in moments like these I'm reminded you're related to Ganjyuu," Kuukaku growled. "You grew up with that so-called 'crap' just like we did as spirits! Of course the stars are important to spirit energy!"

"What will she be called?" Yoruichi asked - and everyone turned uncertainly to the Soul King.

"We… were going to let His Majesty decide," said Isshin slowly, as he, Yamamoto, and Masaki shared a single glance.

Yamamoto cleared his throat. "If you would be so kind as to grace that to the great-granddaughter of the rebel who started the Shinigami."

The Soul King's eyes softened as he gazed at Masaki's belly. "… Amayaran," he said quietly.

"Night rain water lily?" Isshin's eyebrows rose. "Well, it's poetic…"

"It's beautiful." Masaki smiled warmly.

"So this kid's going to be trained not only to be a killer actress, but to be strong enough by all of us?" Shinji raised his eyebrows and whistled. "Wow… That's going to be one hell of a kid…"

"She will certainly have -" Yoruichi glanced at Masaki's stomach, "- an interesting childhood.

"With all these people coming to visit her…"


End file.
